Feeder



SePt- 23, 1941. C. R. LIVERMoN 2,256,681

FEEDER Filed July 15, l1939. 2 sheets-shet 1 Sept. 23, 1941.

c. R; L lvERMoN FEEDER Filed July 15, 19:59 2 sheets-sheet 2 PatentedSept. 23, 1941 UNITED sr'rss orties FEEDER Carl R. Livermon, Roxobel, N.C.

Application `Iuly l5, 1939, Serial No 284,792

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in threshing machinery, and moreparticularly to the feeders thereof. Inasmuch as the instant feeder isprimarily intended for use in conjunction with a peanut vine threshingmachine, the description is based on that use, but it is to beunderstood that this is not a limitation.

The commonly known feeder comprises a solid board bottom onto which thevines are forked by a laborer on the ground. The feeder usually has anattendant who stuffs the vines into the feed throat of the pickingcylinder, but because of the fact that the feeding depends entirely uponthe judgment of the attendant errors are committed right along in therate of feeding so that the picking cylinder is supplied either with toomuch material or not enough, and never with a continuous flow.

This defect is overcome by the improved feeder which embodies provisionsfor automatically controlling the amount of material to be delivered tothe feed throat. But an equally important consideration relates to theconstant eiirnination of dirt from the feeder, thereby avoiding thedamage which commonly occurs in a threshing machine.

It is readily understood that when the laborer on the ground forks upthe vines he also transports to the feed table considerable quantitiesof dirt which adhere to the roots of the vines. The common type of solidboard bottom feed table has no provision for the escape of this dirt.Consequently it goes in with the vines, causing unnecessary wear andtear on the teeth of the cylinder and concave. With the preamble in mindthe objects ofthe invention are as follows:

First, to provide a feeder wherein a continuous cleaning of thefeed-table is performed by causing the vine mass to advance with awalking motion, this motion resulting from force impulses imparted tothe vine mass on alternately opposite sides of said mass, causing asweeping of the feed-table by said mass to clear off the dirtaccumulations by brushing them along the feed table into the machine.

Second, to supplement the foregoing feed-table with a system ofperforations for use in some installations, for sifting out a largepercentage of dirt so that .less foreign matter will enter the pickerand thus reduce the damage which can befall the latter.

Third, to provide a feeder which is predicated on a fced-table bottomalong which the vine mass is impelled with a walking motion by theperiodic projection of the teeth of groups of carrier blades onalternately opposite sides of the feedtable, the number of blades ineach group being sufficient to carry forward that part of the massdirectly thereover without cutting through, and each group alternatelyreceding beneath the table so that the portion of the mass on that sideis free to rest of its own weight on the then unencumbered side to bedragged along the table bottom with the other portion then in theprocess of being impelled forwardly.

Fourth, to provide a feeder wherein a sufficiently deep penetration ofthe carrier blade teeth into the vine mass is assured by the constantsweeping action of the walking vine mass, the uniformity of penetrationbeing the result of keeping the slotted feed table cleared of dirtaccumulations.

Fifth, to work the carrier blades in groups or banks thus to provide alarge enough number of teeth and at the same time to space the bladessufficiently far apart so as to insure an adequate pushing area toovercome the resistance of tangled vines between a retarding device andthe teeth of the blades. Sixth, to actuate the carrier blade groups withtwo-throw cranks, the throws of each pair employed being oifset inrespect to each other so as to avoid the crank-throws reaching deadcenters simultaneously. i

Seventh, to provide an adjustment for that end of the feed table next tothe cylinder, by which to raise or lower the table in respect to thegroups of blades,A thus to cause the teeth to pass through said table atvarying heights and in turn to regulate the carrying capacity of theblades according to varying conditions of the Vine mass.

Eighth, to make the carrier blades with sets of coarse teeth nearest thepicking cylinder and with sets of ner teeth farthest from said cylinder,respectively, to force the vines forward and to tear them apart againstthe retarding device, and both to carry forward the vine mass and holdsaid mass in position, preparatory to being gripped by the correspondingcoarse teeth of an adjacent blade set.

Ninth, to provide for the delivery of the vine material to the pickingcylinder with a uniform feed, this purpose being accomplished byemploying a retarding device to impose a resistance upon the top of themass while the carrier blade sets carry forward the bottom of the masstoward the cylinder, the combined effect of forwarding the mass at thebottom and holding it back at the top being to tear the mass in themiddle and to do so uniformly with each feed stroke of the blade set.Tenth, to construct the feed-table with a series -of parallelcross-sectionally curved metal chan- Figure 1 is a plan View of theimproved feeder.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view Aof o ne corner of the feeder,particularly illustrating one of the pivotal mounts of the slotted feedtable.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional perspective View of the adjustable end ofsaid feed table.

' Figure 4 is a detailcross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. v

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 5-5of'Fig. 1.

Figure is a diagram illustrating the walking or shuffling motionimparted to the vine mass by the operation of the carrier blade groups.

Figure 7 is a detail cross section illustrating a, feature laterdescribed. Y

The threshing machine, commonly designated I, includes the uprights 2,constituting part of the framing, the revoluble picking cylinder 3 andthe fixed concave 4. Both the cylinder and concave are equippedwithinteracting teeth (not shown), the purpose of which is to tear the vinesand thus cause a separation of the peanuts.

p A feed hopper 5 is mounted on the framework of the machine, theuprights 2 of the latter providing the supports for a pair of paralleland preferably horizontal beams 6. These beams are secured at 1 to theuprights 2, and are braced from the latter as at 8. Thisstructurerprovides a rigid foundation for the feed table or bottomgenerally designated 9, said feed table comprising a'plurality of metalchannels. The feed table 9 is so supported that its discharge edge I0stands in close proximity to the cylinder 3, and actually defines a partof the feed throat II of the latter.

To this end the foregoing edge I is beveled, said bevel actuallycomprising an appropriate angling of the channel flanges adjacently tothe cylinder as shown (Fig. The resulting slope takes the general vpitchof the periphery of `the cylinder 3 and concave 4. The feed table 9 iscomposed of the plural channels mentioned, there being a central channelI2 which is broader than those channels I3 located between said centralchannel I2 and the side channels I4. The excess breadth of the centralchannel I2 is largely an accommodation to cover the area in which thecentral throws of the cranks work. The side channels I4 serve as fillersbetween the channel series I3 and the hopper sides, and the former areshaped to match the forwardly,(leftwardly)V flaring sides. Thepurpose ofthe vflare is to `expand the feed table area at the left entrance end.

The channels I2, I3 and I4 have upstanding flanges I5 and I6. The reasonfor theV distinction in numerals is that the flanges I5 are short whilethe flanges I6 are long. Said channels are made like gutters.r Thebottom parts are rounded more or less, and the upstanding flanges intowhich the curvatures mergeare parallel to each other or substantiallyso. 'Ihe flanges are spaced as shown, dening the passages I'I in whichthe carrier blades work. The upright flanges comprise considerable areasagainst which the carrier blades can rub under the stresses of machineoperation. Becauser of the fact that said areas are large theperceptible wear is very small with a consequently increased enduranceover what the latter would be if the structure were arranged otherwise.

The foregoing spacing of the channels I2, I3 and I4 defines slots. I8along the ridges I9 of what could be called ribs. The socalled ribs arethe product of the contiguously placed flanges I5, I5 and since one ofthese is taller than the other it follows that the slotted ridge Willstand obliquely to the level of the table as denoted by the une zo (Fig.'1).

If the flanges I5, I5 were of a uniform height it would be possible fora large percentage of peanuts, especially the small ones, to fallthroughy the slot because the flange edges would define a sufficientlybroad and level base toreceive the peanuts. But by making the flangesuneven (Fig. 7) the tallest one acts as a deflector, and any peanutfalling in the direction of the ridge I9 .will in most instances strikethe tall flange rst The feed table 9 is desirably perforated to leta'large percentage of the dirt sift through. The

perforations are designated 23 and they are formed in the Webs of thechannels I2, I3 and I4. However, the use of perforations is optional andin some installations they may not be required.

In further reference to the details of the feed table 9, the channelsI2, I3 and I4 are secured at 24 to the bends 25 of a head plate 25. Thisis deeply slotted at 2'I to provide for the clearance of vines so thatthey will not hang in the carrier blade passages Il beyond the rearlimits of access by said carrier blades. The plate members 28 resultingfrom theV slotting have their top ends formed into the bends 25. Flanges29 are turned back from the ends of the plate 26. The channels'extendback farther than the securernents 24 so that the previously mentioneddischarge edge I9 issituated fairly clear of the plate 26.

The foregoing provision for adjustment comprises 'a series of apertures30 in each of the flanges 29, and a bolt 3I, which is fitted through thedesired one of the respective apertures and through a hole in theadjacent horizontal beam 6. This arrangement for adjustment is extremelysimple and yet quite effective. It is not necessarily adhered to inpractice because there is a variety of equivalents which will work justas well.

When any adjustment is made the'feed-table 9 will swing on its pivotalmount (Fig. 2). This mount comprises a bar 32 to which the channels aresecured at 33 at the entrance end of the feedtable. This bar has pintles34 (Fig. 2) which are turnably mounted in holes 35 in upstandingfixtures35 secured to the horizontal beams B. The hopper 5 includesretainersides 31 which are aflixed in the forwardly flaring positionspreviously mentioned (Fig. 1) in any appropriate way, the arrangementfor the afxation including members 38 which are rigidly secured at theirbottom ends to the sides of the outermost channels I4 and extend upwardstherefrom.

Thus far it will be understood that the feedtable 9 comprises animproved substitute for the currently used feed-table. The distinctionbetween the two is that the latter comprises a solid board bottom,whereas the former comprises a series of channels, spaced apart toprovide carrier blade passages. Another distinction is that the instantfeed-table 9 is adjustable at its throat or discharge edge, andnecessarily so in order to cause the teeth of the carrier blades to passthrough the table at varying heights.

All of the carrier blades are alike, and the description of one willsuffice for all. The carrier blade 39 is characterized by having aseries of coarse teeth 40 adjacent to the picking cylinder 3, followedby a series of finer teeth 4| The coarse teeth serve to force the vinemass 42 toward the throat H (arrow a., Fig. 5), for which purpose theygrip much more deeply into the vines than do the teeth 4l. The latterare primarily for the purposes of carrying the vine mass 42 up to thelater described retarding device and holding said mass there preparatoryto its being gripped by the coarse teeth of the adjacent blade set.Emphasis is laid on the aforesaid carrying forward of the vine mass bythe teeth 4I, it being this positive carrying forward of the mass on oneside of the feed table which is instrumental in dragging the mass alongthe feed table on the other side. i

A further function of the heavy teeth 40 is to tear the Vine mass apartsubstantially along the line c-o (Fig. 5) The tearing act requires thecooperation of a retarding device 43, the details of which are presentlydescribed.

A suiicient number of blades 39 is provided to furnish a large enoughnumber of teeth, both coarse and ne, to do the intended work. To thisend the blades are separated into groups or sets. These groups aredesignated 44, 45, in Fig. l, and each is shown to comprise four carrierblades 39. Obviously the number of blades and the number of groups canbe increased provided that each group represents the outline of asufficiently large table area to insure the gravitation of thesuperimposed portion of the vine mass into a resting position on saidarea while the respective blade-teeth are withdrawn, and while theadjacent portions of the vine mass are in progress of being advanced bythe then active carrier blade teeth. This principle is especially wellunderstood in the case of making the blade groups too narrow in the twingroup arrangement in Fig. l or in a conceivable triple or other multiplegroup arrangement not disclosed.

If the blade group in any such installation is too narrow there will notbe table space enough to let the vine mass down. Consequently it willarch above the table surface, allowing a building up of a dirt layerwhich is equivalent to so increasing the thickness of the. table thatthe blade teeth will barely show through at the highest point in theirorbits, thus to eventually defeat the forwardly function of the carrierblades.

The blades in group 45 are secured in upright positionsV to bearingblocks 46, 41, by means of bolts 48 which go through the angled footings49 of the carrier blades and through holes in the halves of the .bearingblocks. The bolts thus serve two purposes, respectively to hold thehalves together and the blades down on the blocks. Said' Iblocks aremade long enough to carry all of the blades at one end of said groupassisting in the accurate registration of the carrier blades in thetable slots. Any necessary adjustment-of an individual blade is made ata slot 5U in its footing. The footings 49 span the distance between theblocks 45, 41 (Fig. 1) thereby strengthening the carrier blades.

The bearing blocks 46, 1, are bored longitudinally at 5I to turnablycontain the respective wrist pin 52. The bolts 48 are employed in pairsat each place of securement of the carrier blades and said bolts passthrough the block halves at opposite sides of the wrist pin.

t is these pins which connect the crank throws 53, 5d (Fig. 1).' Eachcrank 55, 56, is a twothrow crank, the companion throws being designated51, 53. These throws are likewise connected by wrist pins 59. Said wristpins turn in bores 6G in bearing blocks El, 62. The bearing blocks 6i,52 carry the blades 39 of the group i4 in the same manner as do theblocks 46, 41 of the group 45. v r

The axles 63, 64 of said two-throw cranks are journaledin bearings 65which are suitably attached to the parallel beams 6, The axle of one ofthe cranks is made longer than the other (Fig. 1) in order to carry apulley 66. This pulley is adapted to be driven by a belt 51. In practicethe pulley and belt can be substituted by a sprocket and chain.

An outstanding characteristic of the throws of one of the cranks, forexample the throws 53, 51 of the two-throw crank 55, is the fact thatthese throws are offset as at G8 (Fig. 5). The extent of the offset isabout 15 degrees although this dimension is subject to variation. Theunderlying purpose of the offset is to avoid the throws of any pair ofcranks from reaching dead centers simultaneously. Incidentally, thecarrier blades act as connecting rods between the cranks. l

Attention is now directed to the retarding device 43 (Fig. 5). Thiscomprises a pair of arms @9, the outer ends of which are pivoted at 10to the retainer sides 3l.. The inner ends are connected by bars 1l, Theouter bar 1| carries a series of spring fingers 11i which are desirablymade double (Fig. 1) but not necessarily so. The innermost bar 12carries a series of rigid spikes 14. The fingers and spikes are directeddownwardly as shown. Consequently they stand in the way of the mass i2and project thereinto a suiicient extent to retard the mass and permitthe tearing action previously described as occurring along the line c-c.

The operation is readily understood. When a given setting of the feedtable 9 is adopted, that setting is generally retained until localconditions make it necessary to slightly alter the setting for a greateror less penetration of the carrier blade teeth into the vine mass 62.Said mass carries a fairly largearnount of dirt with it. This dirtgravitates upon the feed-table 9 and in the instance of the prevailingtypes of feed-tables, is worked in with the vines to the mechanism ofthe threshing machine.

As brought out before, one of the outstanding improvements in theinstant feeder is keeping Y y44 is up and active upon the vine mass.

` of the mass.

the table fairly cleanand to make sure of a constantly uniform infeedingof vine material into the feed throat Il. This is accomplished by thepeculiar sweeping action of the vine Vmass invturn made possible by themanner of working the carrier blades. Y f

In Fig. 6 the mass Vin any given sequence of steps can be regarded asinitially occupying the position d. At this moment the blade group 45 isdown and temporarily inactive while the group Said group can beconsidered as completing a forward thrust in th direction of the arrowe, and as it does it drags the whole mass forwardly to the position f.The mass sweeps the table area over the suppressed carrier blade group45 because of that portion of the mass havingrbeen permitted togravitate into contact with the table.

A's the action progresses the blade group 45 will rise above the tablewhile the group 44 will go down. The vine mass then gravitates intocontact with the table top on that side. But the now active group 45will grip the mass and move mass down into contact with the table topand making sure that thelatter will be loaded with vine material and nota layer of dirt.

The function of the retarding device 43 is to hold back the surplus vinematerial at the top of the mass` While one or the other of the` twoblade groupsftears off portions from the bottom As previously stated theline of cleavage is approximately along the Zone c c, thus to feed thepicker cylinder with a constantly uniform quantity of material frombeneath said zone; Vthe surplus material overriding the Zone c--c willfall forward onto the carrier blades to be driven into the feed throat.

I claim:

1. A feeder for a threshing machine comprising a slotted feed-table, apair of groups of vcarrier blades situated on the respective sides ofthe longitudinal centerof the feed-table, the blades being inregistration with the passages defined bythe slots, a pair of two-throwcranks revolubly mounted below the feed-table, bearing blocks usubstantially equal in length to the Width of the throws and beingjournaled on said throws, the bearing blocks ofy identically andlongitudinally positioned pairs of throws having the respective groupsof blades aflixed theretoY in parallelism so that each longitudinal pairof throws carries a symmetrical blade group, and means for revolvingoneY of the cranks, imparting simultaneous revolution to the other crankthrough the connection afforded by the respective blade groups, therebyimparting a circular motion to lsaid groups in said passages to act upona superimposed vine mass with intermittent and alternating pushingmotions.

2. A feeder for a threshing machine comprising a slotted feed-table, acarrier blade group on each side of the longitudinal center of thefeedtable, the blades being in registration withv the passages definedby the slots, pairs Vof cross Vbearing blocks to which the respectivegroups are attached, a pair of axles journaled crosswise of and belowthe feed table for the actuation of the blade groups, and diversely setpairs of cranks in each of the axles, includingr wrist pins connectingthe cranks and having the bearing blocks mounted thereon, the pair ofcranks extending to one side of the respective axle being offset fromthe pair of cranks extending to the other side to prevent the deadcentering of the cranks.

3. In afeeder, a channeled feed-table, the channels being .separated toprovide movableblade passages, the channels having pairs of anges, oneflange being-tall and the other short, the tall flanges being'inconfronting but spaced relationship to the short yflanges ofsuccessivechannels to denne oblique bases, the tall flanges acting as deectors.

4f. In a feeder, a channeled feed-table, the channels being separated toprovide movableblade passages, the channels being cross-sectionleast twogroups of toothed forwarding devices Y working in conjunction with eachother to forward a vine mass along the ridges ofA said table channelsincidentally to loosen the dirt, and

Vmeans actuating said devices with a vine-advancing motion, each of thedevices alternately acting above the tablesto grip the mass and impart apositive push thereto, thev companion to said active device then beinginactively depressed below the channel ridges, clearing a table areaYcorresponding in size to the inactive device for the unrestricteddragging of the mass thereby to sweep the dirt through the perforations.Y

6. A feeder comprising a slotted Afeed table, essentially thin, toothedcarrier blades operable up through the slots, means securing multipleblades into at least two groups respectively for operation on oppositesides of the longitudinal center of the feed table, each groupconsisting of an approximate minimum of three blades, the actualnumerical requirement being a factor directly related to the density ofa tangled vine mass intended to be conveyed, thus vto avoid cuttingthrough the mass and at the same Ytime delineating a table area forexposure by each inactive group, Yof sufficient expanse Vto letl thesuperimposed mass drop into contact with the table, means to alternatelyreciprocate the blade groups to actuate the mass with a combinedadvancing and sweeping'action, and mass-retarding means xedly stationedvabove the feed table, consisting of twin rows of V successive spikes andspring fingers, said blades Ihaving coarse Vteeth grouped under theretarding means to confine major penetration of the mass to the localityof said means, and relativelylne teeth grouped in advance of theretarding means merely carrying said mass up to said means.

7. A feeder comprising a feed table, vine mass retarding means xedlysituated and spaced above Said feed table, said means consisting of twinrows of successive spikes and spring fingers directed toward the massand spaced in the direction of movement of said mass, and orbitallycapacity grouped transversely of the feed table, the teeth of majorcarrying capacity being in the approximate region of the retardingmeans.

8. A feeder comprising a feed table, said table having slots to definepassages, a retarding device stationarily situated above the feed table,said means consisting of twin rows of successive spikes and springfingers directed toward the mass and spaced in the direction of movementof said mass, orbitally movable toothed carrier blade groups operable insaid passages to periodically project therethrough above the feed table,said blades having coarse teeth grouped under the retarding device andrelatively ne teeth grouped in advance of said retarding device, a pivotfor that end of the table remote from the retarding device, and meanscontiguous to the retarding device for adjusting the table on its pivotthereby to vary the feeding effect of the coarse teeth Withoutmaterially changing the carrying eiect of the fine teeth.

9. A feeder comprising a feed table, said table having slots to definepassages, a retarding device stationarily situated above the feed table,said means consisting of twin rows of successive spikes and springfingers directed toward the mass and spaced in the direction of movementof said mass, orbitally movable toothed carrier blade groups operable insaid passages to periodically project therethrough above the feed table,said blades having coarse teeth grouped under the retarding device andrelatively ne teeth grouped in advance of said retarding device, a pivotfor that end of the table farthest from the retarding device, and meanscontiguous to the retarding device for adjusting the table on its pivot,the resulting angular setting of the table causing a greater variationin the eX- posure of the coarse teeth than of the fine teeth above thefeed table thereby to vary the feeding effect of the 'coarse teethwithout materially changing the carrying effect of the fine teeth.

10. A feeder for a threshing machine cornprising a slotted feed-table, atwo-throw crank arrangement revolubly mounted crosswise of the undersideof the feed-table, at least two bladegroups respectively connected withmatching throws of said arrangement to perform alternating rising andfalling motions in respect to the 'table surface, each group consistingof thin, toothed blades, in sufficient numbers and in fixedly relatedlateral assemblage to provide a noncutting vine mass-forwarding supportand at the same time demarcate a potential table area broad enough toinsure a gravitation of the superimposed portion of the vine mass to thetable surface upon falling of the respective group below said surfacewhile the other vine mass portion remains sustained above said surfaceby the other blade group.

` CARL R. LIVERMON.

